Retired Staff Sgt. Benjamin Hutchins, 18th Air Support Operations Group joint terminal attack controller, and his family pose for a photo during a ceremony where he received the Silver Star Medal, Nov. 4, 2016, at Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina. Hutchins received the Silver Star for attempting to save drowning soldiers in the face of imminent danger during a deployment in 2009 in Bala Murghab, Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman Miranda A. Loera)

SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. — The Silver Star medal is a United States military individual decoration and is the third highest award for bravery, heroism or meritorious service. The medal is awarded to members of any branch in the military and represents heroic achievement of service.

Maj. Gen. Thomas Deale, Director of Operations of Air Combat Command, presented retired Staff Sgt. Benjamin Hutchins, 18th Air Support Operations Group joint terminal attack controller, with the Silver Star medal during a ceremony Nov. 4, 2016 at Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina.

Hutchins distinguished himself by gallantry in connection with military operations against an enemy of the United States during a deployment to Afghanistan in 2009.

“Ben joins a line of Americans that date back to World War I who are recognized with high honor in service and combat,” Deale said.

While deployed to Bala Murghab, Afghanistan, Hutchins attempted to save two soldiers who were swept away in the Bala Murghab River. The soldiers were attempting to recover a bundle from a missed aerial delivery. Hutchins, despite enemy forces firing at him, dove into the water searching for the soldiers until American forces arrived to fend off the enemy and aid the recovery attempt.

“You would think that we would be somber or even sad,” said Hutchins. “That wasn’t the case at all. Once you lose somebody, you get motivated. It’s the only way to fix it, you can’t get too caught up in the emotions or the same thing could happen to you.”

The next day, Hutchins and three others volunteered to leave cover and engage the enemy in order to counteract the aggressive firing. He and the three other individuals moved under heavy rocket propelled grenade, machine gun and sniper fire across an open field with little to no cover or concealment.

Hutchins managed to direct sensors of air support while continuing to fire with his M-4 rifle. He killed one enemy armed with a rocket propelled grenade launcher before the enemy could fire and wounded an additional enemy fighter, all while providing targeting and controlling information to an overhead remotely piloted aircraft that destroyed a second enemy fighting position with an AGM-114 Hellfire missile.

“We destroyed an entire stronghold of an entire city, and no other friendly forces were lost after that,” said Hutchins.

Hutchins said he was humbled and honored to receive the award.

“The work that I did those days gets done every day by individuals that don’t receive this recognition,” said Hutchins. “I am just representing for them. I just hope it can inspire those Airmen under me and set that example.”

Master Sgt. Donald Gansberger, Air Combat Command plans, programs, and requirements noncommissioned officer for Tactical Air Control Party, was Hutchins’ first supervisor, and was also on the same deployment.

“During the deployment he showed so much bravery,” said Gansberger. “Those two events that were two days apart were extremely heroic to me. He stepped up and saved the entire team that day.”

Editor’s note: During another deployment in 2012, Hutchins was injured by an improvised explosive device and was medically retired as a Staff Sergeant in 2014.